New Balance’s Wildest Sneaker Finds Its Inner Animal
After introducing itself in simple all-black leather, New Balance’s sneaker-loafer hybrid is getting wild. Literally.
The New Balance 1906L is arriving in (faux) glossy crocodile leather. Does it look crazy? Absolutely, that’s the brief.
Under the shine, this shoe is a proper New Balance dad shoe. The 1906L borrows the streamlined shape of its 1906 model with those layered panels and the supportive heel cage.
Underfoot, you get the ENCAP and ABZORB combo (the same cushioning cocktail found in many a comfy New Balance dad shoe) so the loafer walks like a sneaker.
Zooming out, the New Balance 1906L lands among the wildest of New Balance’s loafers yet. And that's saying something.
Since its viral runway reveal with Junya Watanabe, the 1906L has cycled through a clean all-black drop, a navy/grey “Magnet” two-tone, soft “Bisque” beige, NB-coded “Raincloud” grey, plus dressier all-leather and suede executions, charting a full spectrum from techy runner energy to near–dress shoe polish. New Balance's most experimental shoe is, well, experimenting.
Scheduled to release in 2025 on New Balance's website, the U1906LCR is a hybrid shoe gone animalistic.
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